Barisan Nasional secured the majority of seats in the next parliament following the 13th General Election that was announced last night. Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s BN had won 133 seats, giving it a simple majority. Pakatan Rakyat had only won 58 so far.
Barisan Nasional had lost the crucial two-thirds majority in 2008 for its first time ever in its 55-year rule. According to the Prime Minister, there was a tsunami among the Chinese community that supported the Opposition. He also noted there was a racial polarization in the voting trend and that it could lead to conflicts of society.
“We will undertake a process of national reconciliation so we can set aside any extremism and communalism with policies based on moderation”.
Pakatan Rakyat retained Selangor, Penang and Kelantan, and all won by a two-thirds majority. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), which contested 37 parliamentary seats and 90 state seats, suffered its worst defeat in history, winning only six parliament seats and 10 state seats.
The nation’s disappointed with this 13th general elections, believing that “democracy is dead” as there is speculation that the ruling party cheated in the recent elections. Indelible ink and phantom voters were believed to be BN’s tricks to stay in power.
“I hope for the sake of the country that all sides, especially the Opposition, will accept this decision with an open heart and allow the democratic process to proceed smoothly”, Najib said. ” The will of the people must be respected. There have been several improvements made to the election process,” he said.
Source: The Star, New Strait Times
